Take action today to protect our native landscapes and wildlife

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Our state's native vegetation provides essential environmental, social and economic benefits, including protecting water quality, maintaining soil health and providing wildlife habitat for threatened species.

I am deeply alarmed by news that the Shooters and Fishers Party intend to introduce legislation to repeal the Native Vegetation Act 2003. We cannot afford to return to the era of broadscale land clearing, when millions of hectares of forests and woodlands were destroyed. The government must uphold strong native vegetation laws so that we don’t return to the unsustainable practices of the past.

The government should reject any legislation that will weaken or repeal the Native Vegetation Act 2003. Since its introduction, the state’s track record of broadscale land clearing has improved, but we still face significant threats to biodiversity across the state. We should be strengthening, not weakening, our land clearing policies.

As the government continues the review of the Native Vegetation Regulation, it should withdraw the proposal to allow clearing, thinning and burning of large areas of native vegetation without assessment and approval by a Catchment Management Authority. These activities will have a serious impact on the environment, and should not be classified as 'routine agricultural management activities'.

Additionally, the proposal to allow clearing of invasive native species and thinning of native vegetation without advice and approval from a CMA has the potential to result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of hectares of native vegetation. I am also opposed to proposals to weaken offset rules and facilitate clearing of paddock trees and small patches in cultivation.

Ourwater and soil quality and threatened wildlife are dependent on the remnant native landscapes.I urge you to maintain the environmental protections in our native vegetation regulations, and to vigorously oppose any move to repeal the Native Vegetation Act 2003.

Sincerely,

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Recently, the Shooters and Fishers Party announced that they plan to introduce legislation to repeal the Native Vegetation Act 2003, the law that controls broadscale land clearing and regulates logging activities on private land.

This move represents a very real threat to one of our most important and hard won environmental laws. Premier O’Farrell has already shown that he is willing to make deals with the Shooters and Fishers, by opening up our national parks to hunting in exchange for their vote in the Upper House.

Tell Premier O’Farrell and Environment Minister Parker that our remaining native habitats must not be sacrificed for short term political benefit.

This move by the Shooters and Fishers party comes at a time when the NSW Government is reviewing the Native Vegetation Regulations 2005. The Government’s draft changes to the regulations include a series of proposals that will weaken protections for our native landscapes.

Our threatened plants and widlife are dependent on the important remnant vegetation dotted across heavily cleared landscapes. We can't afford to lose more critical areas of bushland.

It is essential that government hears from people that support stronger, not weaker, protection for our native vegetation and wildlife. Send an email now!

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